alluded to in Matt. xix, 12. Those whom our Lord terms "eunuchs who have made themselves such for the kingdom of heaven's sake," are supposed to be the contemplative Essenes, who abstained from all intercourse with women, in the hope of acquiring a greater degree of purity, and becoming the better fitted for the kingdom of God. This latter class had no children of their own, but constantly adopted those of poor people, and brought them up in their own way. St. Paul is generally understood to have alluded to them, in Col. ii, 18, 21, 23. Michaelis thinks that there are allusions to the tenets and practices of the Essenes in the epistle to the Ephesians, and the first epistle to Timothy.*

4. OF THE HERODIANS.-The Herodians were rather a political faction than a religious sect. They derived their name from Herod the Great. They were distinguished from the other Jewish sects, 1st, by their concurring in Herod's plan of subjecting himself and his people to the dominion of the Romans; and, 2d, in complying with them in many of their heathen practices, such as building temples with images for idolatrous worship, erecting statues, and instituting games in honour of the Roman emperor; which symbolizing with idolatry upon views of interest and worldly policy, is probably a part at least of the leaven of Herod, against which our blessed Lord cautioned his disciples.

* Introd. to the New Test. vol. iv, pp. 79--85. Dr. Prideaux with great industry and fidelity, has collected all that Philo, Josephus, and Pliny have recorded concerning the Essenes. The account is highly interesting, and well worthy the attention of every Christian. Connect. vol. iii, b. v, pp. 406--431, 17th ed. See also Jenning's Jewish Antiq. b, i, p. 243, Edinb. ed. 1808.

Mark viii, 15. In short, the Herodians appear to have been those who trimmed between God and the world: who endeavoured to reconcile his service with that of Mammon; and who were religious just as far as it tended to secure their secular interests. It is also probable that this party, in their doctrinal tenets, were chiefly of the sect of the Sadducees, for the persons who are called Herodians, (Mark viii, 15,) are denominated Sadducees in Matt xvi, 6.*

5. OF THE SAMARITANS.-The Samaritans mentioned in the New Testament, were partly descended from the ten tribes, most of whom had been made captive by the Assyrians, blended with other distant nations, and settled in the same district with their conquerors. The different people for some time retained their respective modes of worship; but the country being depopulated by war, and infested by wild beasts, the mixed multitude imagined, according to the ideas then prevalent in the heathen world, that this was a judgment upon them for not worshipping the God of the country in which they resided. On this account one of the priests, whom they had carried away from Samaria, came and " dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord." 2 Kings xvii, 24--33. The temple at Jerusalem being destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the Samaritans proposed to join with the Jews, after their return from the captivity, in rebuilding it, but their proposal was rejected; (Ezra iv, 1--3.) and, other causes of dissension arising, the

* Prideaux's Con. vol. iii, b. v, p. 431, 17th ed.; Jenning's Jewish Antiq. b. i, ch. xii, pp. 244--246, Edinb. ed. 1808; Joseph. Antiq. Jud. b. xv, c. 8, sec. 1.

Samaritans at length, by permission of Alexander the Great, erected a temple on Mount Gerizim, in opposition to that at Jerusalem.* Here the Samaritans

performed the same worship with the Jews, and continued as free from idolatry as the Jews themselves. Sanballat, who was then governor of the Samaritans, constituted Manasses, the son of Jaddus the Jewish high priest, high priest of the temple at Gerizim, which from that time, they maintained to be "the place where men ought to worship." Hence arose that inveterate enmity and schism between the Jews and the Samaritans, of which we meet with numerous instances in the New Testament.

Among other peculiarities by which the Samaritans were distinguished from the Jews, we may notice their admission of the Divine authority of the Pentateuch, while they rejected all the other books as apocryphal, or, as of inferior authority.

There exist to the present day small remains of the Samaritans at Naplouse and Jaffa ; they are about thirty families; and men, women, and children, amount to about two hundred persons! They have a synagogue, which they regularly attend every sabbath, and they go thither clothed in white robes.†

The Samaritans have, in the most scrupulous and conscientious manner, preserved the Pentateuch till the

About A.M. 3595, B.C. 409.

+ Much curious information relative to the modern Samaritans, may be seen in a "Memoire sur L'Etat actuel des Samaritains," by Baron Sylvestre de Sacy, 8vo. Paris, 1812; and in Fleury's Manners and Customs of the Ancient Israelites, Dr. A. Clarke's ed. pp. 350--364. See also Dr. Lightfoot's Works, vol. i, p. 23, of the appendix to the author's life.

present day and to them the learned are obliged for the preservation of the ancient genuine Hebrew character, now called the Samaritan, which was laid aside by Ezra when he published a connected edition of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, in which he used the Chaldee character, since improperly termed the Hebrew.* As there has been no friendly intercourse between the Jews and Samaritans since the Babylonian captivity, there can be no doubt, that the copies of the Pentateuch in their preservation were the same that were in use before that event, though liable to such variations as will always be occasioned by frequent transcribing. And so inconsiderable are the variations from our present copies, which were those of the Jews, that by this means we have a proof that those important books have been preserved uncorrupted for the space of nearly three thousand years, so as to leave no room to doubt that they are the same which were actually written by Moses. The following interesting remarks of Dr. Kennicott, cannot but be highly acceptable to every lover of biblical learning:-" One antient copy has been received from the Jews, and we are truly thankful for it: another antient copy is offered by the Samaritans; let us thankfully accept that likewise. Both have been often transcribed: both therefore may contain errors. They differ in many instances, therefore the errors must be many. Let the two parties be heard without prejudice; let their evidences be weighed with impartiality; and let the genuine words of Moses be ascertained by their joint assistance.

* The Pentateuch is printed in this ancient Hebrew character in the first volume of the London Polyglott, by Bp. Walton.

Let the variations of all the manuscripts on each side be carefully collected; and then critically examined by the context and the antient versions. If the Samaritan copy shall be found in some places to correct the Hebrew, yet will the Hebrew copy in other places correct the Samaritan. Each copy, therefore, is invaluable: each copy, therefore, demands our pious veneration and attentive study. The Pentateuch will never be understood perfectly till we admit the authority of both."*

IX. Of the Proselytes.

PERSONS of other nations, who were willing to qualify themselves for conforming to the sacred rites of the Jewish church, were admitted to join in the religious services of the Jews by renouncing the worship of idols. But these were not held in the same estimation as Jews by birth, descent, and language, who were termed Hebrews of the Hebrews. When our Saviour was on earth, the Jews, especially the Pharisees, greatly exerted in making proselytes to their religion and sect.

1

Calmet and others have distinguished two kinds of proselytes:-1. Proselytes of the gate, who dwelt either in or out of the land of Israel, and worshipped the true God, observing the seven precepts of Noah, but

* Dr. Kennicott's Disc. ii, pp. 20--165. See Dr. Prideaux's Con. vol. ii, pp. 492--502, 17th ed. 8vo. Rev. T. H. Horne's Introd. vol. i, pp. 173--176. Harwood's Introd. vol. ii, pp. 239, 240..

+ These precepts, according to the Jewish Doctors, are-1. Not to commit idolatry. 2. Not to blaspheme the name of God.